Geopfad Nebra

Short description

The path leads through disused quarries, providing insights into the Buntsandstein sandstone.

Description

The path leads through disused quarries, various relics in Buntsandstein testify to the former great importance of the quarry and stonemasonry industry in the Nebra area - its products can be found throughout Germany. The up to 30 m high sandstone walls impress with diverse colors and structures.

Extended tour description:
From the parking lot on Wangener Straße, follow the road to the beginning of the path. At the town exit sign, the entrance on the right side is visible through hiking trail signs.
 
Walking past an allotment garden, through a natural quarry area, alternating between narrow footpaths and wide hiking trails, you ascend steeply. The plateau rewards with a magnificent view of the Buntsandstein rocks.
Follow the signs to the Aussichtspunkt Bock, alternatively you can stay on the stone quarry path.
Heading towards Kleinwangen along an orchard meadow, a visit to the Arche Nebra is recommended.
Then follow the signs to Großwangen. The path forks at a seating area, offering two options: ascend to the Breite Platte with a viewpoint of the Arche and Vitzenburg: alternatively, you can deviate from the path to visit the town of Nebra.
If you choose not to visit the town, the tour leads over the Unstrut bridge towards Wangen back to the starting point.

Route description

A possible starting point for the tour is behind the train station, on Wangener Straße. The parking area is on the left side of the street. To access the hiking trail, walk about 500 m along the road. Be careful as there is no sidewalk. At the town exit sign, the entrance on the right side is visible through hiking trail signs. Cross the street and turn onto a well-maintained, wide hiking trail. From the sign for Steinbruchweg, the path becomes steeper and narrower as you ascend. The path becomes a trail behind the allotment garden. Passing through a natural quarry area (be aware of fallen trees on the path), and alternating between narrow footpaths and wide hiking trails, as well as wooden steps, the trail leads steeply upwards. Upon reaching the plateau, you will be rewarded with a splendid view of the colorful Buntsandstein rocks. Here, an excavation pit from recent times is visible, where stone for the restoration of significant historical buildings was extracted using block blasting techniques in the 1990s. After a gradual further ascent, the path veers left along the edge of the forest.

At the next fork, there are signs, including for the Aussichtspunkt Bock. Here, the path changes from earthy to partly rocky and enters the forest again. Buntsandstein is already visible on the forest floor. On the left side lies the former quarry. In summer, its barely recognizable as nature has reclaimed its place. The trail continues to the next fork, where you can choose to go left towards Aussichtspunkt Bock or stay on the Steinbuchweg path. Opting for the Bock viewpoint rewards with a 180° panoramic view of the narrow Unstrut valley below and the opposite Buntsandstein rocks. These steep, vertical walls, with a 100-meter difference to the valley floor, give a mountainous character. Yet these are centuries-old quarries, not immediately recognizable as such. Remarkable are the once-moved quantities of stone and debris, now largely absorbed by nature.

Continuing to the right at the fork, after about 10 m, you reach an old, no longer cultivated orchard meadow. Before the orchard meadow, the path turns left, following the forest edge. In the distance on the right, the village of Vitzenburg with its castle can be seen. After about 1.5 km and at the next fork, the hiking tour turns left into the forest. Here, the descent towards Kleinwangen begins. In spring, this section is often presented by tour guides to showcase the first spring blooms.

Upon reaching Kleinwangen, turn right and walk through the village on the footpath along the streets Am Bockberg, Auf der Nebraer Straße, Unter den Linden. At this point, you can decide to make a short visit to the Arche Nebra. From April to October, new special exhibitions are held every year.

Following the route, the Steinbruchweg passes by the sports field. At the next fork, well signposted, continue to the left. Then cross an unguarded railway crossing, the Unstrut bridge, towards Großwangen. About 500 m to the junction of the village and state road. On Memlebener Straße, continue on the left sidewalk. At the town exit, continue along the roadside for about 1 km until you reach the allotment gardens. Once there, cross the street. The signposting is clearly visible. The Steinbruchweg now leads slightly uphill into the mixed forest. It narrows into a narrow path. The hiker is right by the Buntsandstein rocks and in early spring has a wonderful view of the Unstrut Valley.

Between Wangen and Nebra, on both sides of the Unstrut, lie the former quarry areas from which the Buntsandstein originates, giving the city its reputation. On the north-facing slope, different sandstone layers were extracted, processed, and transported down to the river through steep ramps. Since the late 18th century, the Unstrut has been navigable, allowing for the transport of large quantities. Besides the high quality of the stones, the nationwide distribution of Nebra Buntsandstein is due to the good infrastructure, used in constructions like the Reichstag in Berlin and the Alte Börse in Hamburg. The path forks at a seating area. Here, hikers can choose whether to take the lower path, leading directly through the now forested former quarry fields, offering views of the towering Buntsandstein outcrops, or ascend towards the plateau, the so-called Breite Platte. The latter rewards the climb with a magnificent viewpoint of the Arche and Vitzenburg. The Buntsandstein city of Nebra is mostly built on the rock in the old town area. Upon reaching Berggasse, the hiker can turn right, leave the geological hiking trail, and explore the town. From this point in Nebra, the Schlosshotel Himmelsscheibe Nebra with castle ruins is about 50 m away, the Hedwig Courts-Maler Museum about 60 m, and the Triassic exhibition about 100 m. Many buildings in Nebra are built from and on Buntsandstein, previously extracted from the quarries of Wangen and Nebra.

Witnesses that the hiker had seen in their natural form created 250 million years ago. Following the signposted route, the tour continues without detouring into the city, turning left and descending via a concrete stairway.

The Unstrut bridge with its landmarks, the two lion sculptures carved from Buntsandstein, is visible from afar and crossed. Beyond the gated railway crossing, continue left towards Wangen. The loop closes, and after about 50 m, the hiker is back at the starting point.

Safety instructions

steep ascents and descents on both sides of the Unstrut